Photovoltaic solar panels or modules generally include a photovoltaic cell that is laminated and/or sandwiched between a plurality of substrates. The majority of photovoltaic cells are rigid wafer-based crystalline silicon cells or thin film modules having cadmium telluride (Cd—Te), amorphous silicon, or copper-indium-diselenide (CuInSe2) deposited on a substrate. The thin film photovoltaic modules may be either rigid or flexible. Flexible thin film cells and modules are created by depositing the photoactive layer and any other necessary layers on a flexible substrate. Photovoltaic cells are connected electrically to one another and to other solar panels or modules to form an integrated system.
Photovoltaic modules may be installed directly onto a roofing substrate of a building. However, many roofing substrates are not flat over an area large enough to support the photovoltaic module. The unevenness or irregularity of the roofing substrate may arise due to design features of the roofing materials, such as stiffening ribs, fasteners or other protrusions, that are necessary components of the roofing substrate. Unevenness of the roofing substrate may also arise from secondary operations such as coatings applied to existing roofing materials to extend the life of the roof or to comply with environmental initiatives. An uneven or irregular roofing substrate may make it difficult to properly attach the photovoltaic module to the roofing substrate and create undesirable stress points on the photovoltaic module.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a self-adhering spacer operable to secure a solar module to an uneven roofing substrate. Moreover, the spacer must meet weatherability and strength criteria, such as resistance to ultra-violet radiation exposure, freeze and thaw cycles, rain, snow, sleet, and hail exposure, wind uplift forces, and extremes in temperature.